Let’s face it, our gardens are precious to us. If you’ve got one then you’re very lucky to have an outdoor space that you can call your own.

Our gardens can be sanctuaries, outdoor spaces that are an extension of our house, that we can visit to calm our minds and sooth our souls; being in nature has an extremely positive affect on our state of mind.

There’s nothing better than being able to relax in your garden after a long day at work.

So, if your garden is currently not exactly a paradise, you may be considering re-designing the space to better suit your needs.

If you are, there are probably a few things that you haven’t thought about that are important to the re-design process.

Here are 5 things to consider before redesigning your garden:

1. Start planning in Winter

Planning is an essential part of garden design or re-design. You may think that planning is a waste of time, but I guarantee you that this will save you time and money down the track, and ensure that you end up with a great garden.Planning your garden re-design in the colder months gives you a longer lead time so you don’t have to rush things. Planning in Winter and planting in Spring, will ensure that your garden thrives. Whether you sow seeds or use already grown plants in your garden, they have a better chance to thrive as the weather gets warmer. It also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labour in the warmer months.

2. Decide what you want from your garden

Before you start planning your garden re-design, think about what you want from your outdoor space. The functionality of the garden will have an effect on the design, so take some time to think about this.

Think about things like:

- How much time will I spend in the garden?

- Do I want to be able to grow food?

- Do I want to be able to cook/entertain/eat in the space?

- Do I want a space where I can read a book/ relax and have some down time?

- Do I want my garden to be a haven for wildlife?

- Do I want a pond in my garden to attract wildlife?

- Do I need storage space in the garden?

- Do I need space for the kids to play?

3. Determine your budget

Unfortunately, a budget has a large influence on your garden re-design. You will need to calculate your budget to determine how much you’re able to spend on preparing the space, buying plants and any additional extras like pathways, ponds etc. Once you’re worked out a budget, you’ll know how muchor how little you can do to the space.

Top tip: To save money on plants and stretch your budget a bit, you can start collecting cuttings from friends, family and neighbours to grow whilst you’re planning the re-design andpreparing the space.

4. Assess the space

Now that you know what you want from the space, you’ll need to assess the space to determine what it can give you. Size, shape and location will all have an effect on what your garden can give you.

Don’t forget to consider in which direction the sun comes from at which time of the day, so you can maximise the amount of sun that falls into your garden.

5. Design

There are lots of things to consider when re-designing your garden, but here are some things that you may not have though about.

Reduce your lawn size

This may seem strange but it will actually enhance your space. Having a smaller lawn means having more space for those gorgeous plants; by having more planted areas, you create more visual interest.

Think about a useable garden room

The weather doesn’t always deliver as expected, so having a garden room can increase the amount of time you’re able to spend in your garden. If it’s placed at the end of the garden, it can be used as a sanctuary and act as the end of a journey through the garden.

Paving

While it may be easy to just clean old paving, this may not be the answer. Keeping your existing paving will limit your design. Rather, think about something new that fits into your design. There are so many options available; your paving could make or break the space.

You can use your paving to create interesting pathways through the garden, or use it to extend the inside of your house into the outdoor area, the possibilities are endless.

Outdoor cooking

Whether it’s a barbecue or wood fired oven that you’re after, cooking and eating in your garden is a joyous experience. It will increase the amount of time you spend in the space, and allow you to entertain as well. Sharing your outdoor space with friends and family is all part of the experience.

Think about attracting wildlife

Why not create a haven for wildlife? Attracting wildlife to your space will bring you joy, there’s nothing better than sitting and watching butterflies and bees buzz around the garden. It also gives them a safe place to flourish, as most developed areas have taken over their habitat. Bee hotels are hugely popular, and add a quirky feel to a garden space, and the kids will love it too.

DIY or hire a Pro

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro will depend on a few factors. Do you have the time, skills, tools and motivation to do it yourself? Do you have a limited budget?

Re-designing your garden doesn’t have to be stressful and time consuming. If you put the effort in at the start, you’ll save time down the track. We want your garden to turn out to be everything that you hoped for.

Let’s face it, tree surgery takes knowledge and skill. It should be left to the professionals that have the experience to take on such a complex service. From knowledge about local laws to knowing how to reduce the crown on a tree, this service is varied and quite unique.

Want to provide the best tree surgery services in the business? Here’s how:

Knowledge: Make sure you’re in tune with the most up to date local legislation including tree preservation orders, conservation areas etc.

Qualifications: Having a formal qualification in Arboriculture will give you the edge when it comes to tree surgery. Understanding the plants, and especially the trees, that you’re working with will make your job that much easier and ensure that your customers get good results from your tree surgery services.

Insurance is a must: Ensure that you have Public Liability Insurance covering all work that’s undertaken, this reduces your risk and ensures your customers have peace of mind.

Tools: Having the right tools will ensure that all of your knowledge and skills are maximised when you provide a tree surgery service. It also ensures that your service is efficient and safe and the results are of the highest quality.

OH & S: Ensure that your occupational health and safety practices are on point at all times. There’s nothing like an incident to smear your reputation within the industry.

Understand what your customer wants: Like any service, ensure that you gather all the required information from your customer and understand what their desired outcome from the tree surgery service is. Cutting down a customer’s favourite tree will lead to a very unhappy customer.

Need to know more?

Cloud Landscapes Ltd are expert tree surgeons as well as hedge cutting specialists in Chichester, West Sussex.

Vegetation and trees which are within a garden may be out of control especially if they are not maintained properly by a professional tree services provider.

The lack of maintenance to gardens and outdoor areas may lead to problems such as cracked sewer lines, wall decay and roof / gutter failure.

As garden services providers, we help to maintain hundreds of Chichester properties by hiring fully qualified Arborists and professional Landscapers.

There are several benefits of choosing Cloud Landscapes tree maintenance team. One reason is that customers are ensured of safety whenever it comes to the possible threats posed by unmaintained trees and vegetation.

Also, our Garden Services in Chichester ensures you have a well maintained outdoor space which boosts the appearance of your environment and makes the home appealing to visitors.

Apart from the removal of overgrown shrubs, our landscape gardeners also help customers with the clearing of unwanted trees within the grounds which can obscure views as well as aesthetics of the property.

After a bus crash left this Sussex Garden severely damaged we were asked to make good and reconstruct the areas.

The crash caused huge damage to an old Sussex flint wall and the impact caused glass to shatter all over the front of the property.

For safety and due to the damage caused we had no choice but to start from scratch.

First up we removed all the debris and glass which included excavating the lawn, shingle areas and bedding areas.

Once a blank canvas was re-established we started with installing new wooded shuttering to retain the top soil, new lawn then separated the areas from the planting and shingle sections.

We levelled off the lawn area using topsoil and rakes followed by re-turfing and back filling the flower beds with fresh topsoil.

Finally we re-pruned the damaged trees and removed any damaged branches. New plants and hedges were installed to replace the damaged ones and finally we added back the marine shingle to finish off the pathway areas.

The finished garden looks great alongside the the newly constructed flint wall.

This garden design project was an absolute pleasure to complete.

Set in the heart of chichester, with it's incredible views of chichester CATHEDRAL, we were spoilt for choice regarding the POSSIBILITIES of such a sought after location.

Working closely with the owners, we decided to strip the old garden back to a blank canvas and start again. The areas had been left far too long unattended and the garden had become overgrown and unmanageable.

For practicalities, we went with a sweeping pathway which wrapped the bedding areas. A large patio area at both ends of the garden complimented the views and sun traps.

Old style brick edging, bespoke solid oak pergolas and long trellis boundary beams all featured heavily in the design.

Once the planting was finally installed the garden came back to life. This is most certainly one of our showcase garden builds!

We originally visited this stunning property in 2017. Here are some images of the initial site clearance prior to garden design.

More before and after photos of the clearance...

We then had to wait a few months whilst the tree and conservation applications were approved to further remove larger tree specimens which had been highlighted as dead or dying. A few tree reductions also took place. Watch this space!

Qualified tree surgeons within a central Chichester location are one of the popular garden services we provide.

With the summer season fast approaching, Cloud Landscapes Ltd Arborists have been mainly hedge cutting in preparation for this years spring growth. Other popular services at this time of year are efficient, effective tree pruning and cutting.

If you require Tree Surveys and Planning, need a private/ residential Tree Surgeon or you are a property manager in the Chichester area, we are proud to offer highly professional tree services to our customers.